Take Me Away
by SassyAni
Summary: What if there was more. If Kartik lived, how would there lives continue? Would Gemma ever be free of the Realms? What path would she choose in her life? This is my take.
1. A Gift Received

A/N: I've never tried to write for AGATB, so I'm going to need lots and lots of constructive criticism

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I am not Libba Bray, and I have only borrowed her characters, so that I might play with them in the Realms of Fan Fiction to my heart's content.

A/N: I've never tried to write for AGATB, so I'm going to need lots and lots of constructive criticism. This story starts off at the moment where Kartik is being swallowed up by the tree.

Things in italics do not belong to me, they are again the property of the glorious Libba Bray.

PS: Thanks to my beautiful, brilliant, bighearted beta Bevin Bright-Eyes (isn't alliteration fun?)

Take Me Away

"_Kartik" I cry, kissing his cheeks. "It's let me go."_

"_That is good," he says, He makes a small cry. His back arches, and every muscle in his body tightens._

I stare at him in pained horror. This beautiful man, this man that had first been my clandestine enemy, then my tentative friend, and finally my passionate love, is willing to die for me. He endures a pain that burns my heart as I watch, transfixed. I wish more than anything to die with him, or to turn back the clock and prevent his sacrifice. I am not worth it. He gives another cry. This one is different. It's a cry of release, not of pain.

And suddenly, as suddenly as he was overtaken, Kartik is banished from the Tree. He crouches on all fours, at my feet. He pants, and cries, all the while whispering my name, a beloved prayer. I drop to my knees, still encompassed by terror but, bit by bit, a sense of calm begins to eat away at my automatic defenses. I would gladly forget any god and instead worship this man.

"Kartik," I breathe. I cannot believe that he truly exists, that he is not another illusion I have concocted to appease my distressed mind.

He looks into my eyes. For a moment, his eyes look empty. As if the tree took his soul and only left me with his body. But the realization of who I am dawns on him slowly. He drinks in my appearance, and I fear he will find me lacking. I quake at the thought that he was miraculously brought back to me, only for me to discover that he harbors no feelings for me. That all our time together has simply been of convenience, and he will once again disappear from my life. I realize that if this happens, if I am left alone, it will not be temporary.

"Gemma," his voice sounds as mine did, disbelieving. I note the joy that slowly transforms his features. I fear his cheeks will split from his grin, and I notice his child-like dimples. He leans towards me, and takes my face in his strong hands, and I feel as though I might melt from his forceful yet gentle grip. I drink in his intoxicating scent, in case this will be my last opportunity to enjoy him.

My tears, determined to run down my face, go unchecked as he pulls me closer to him. He pauses for an inexpressible moment. It is the pause of a lover, I understand finally. I see his eyes involuntarily shut, as he breaths me in. I am his willing perfume, destined to spend the rest of eternity in close proximity, pleasing and encompassing him.

Kartik kisses me. I remember how he kissed me in the Cave of Sighs, and I wish that we could go once again. I wish to show him how he has haunted my dreams of late. How every time I see him, a piercing longing for his touch fills me. I have dreamed of being his wife, bearing him sons and daughters. And with this desperate kiss, I realize that I do not need the aid of magic to understand him. He gives me everything. Explains everything, without saying a word. The ghost of my name escapes his lips, but I cannot be sure.

Our passion does not go unnoticed by the others. I distantly hear Ann gasp in shock. She has never suspected me to be so forward. I pay them no heed. My tongue ventures into the mysterious depths of Kartik's mouth, our tongues intertwine, sweet honey. He draws me in, my own laudanum, how well I now understand my father.

Finally we draw away, and notice the shocked faces that surround us. Only Felicity seems unperturbed, with a smug look on her face. As if it is because of her that I love Kartik. And in a way it is. When I saw her with Ithal, I was shocked, but likewise motivated to realize that despite how scandalous, it is not inherently wrong to follow my feelings.

And even though I am there with Kartik, there with all our friends, I cannot help but think about everything that has transpired. Why this man is mine to keep. To carry not only in my heart, but mine to enjoy for the rest of conceivable eternity. Why my chest expands, filling me with contentment I never imagined, instead of shrinking into the deep recesses of past memory, a life that could never return. What penance will we pay for his safe return? How will the debt of blood be returned?

And the war that was only just raging on. I distantly wonder why the Winterlands creatures do not overtake us. There are too many of them, evil of many generations, bargains made, and sins committed that could never be repaid. These creatures were banished here because of their evil, and they wished to kill me, to kill us all, to possess the magic to overtake the world.

I unwillingly and unwittingly look away from Kartik for just a moment. I realize that the once eerily majestic Tree of All Souls has changed. It appears smaller, no longer powerful, though I know that no changes could occur so quickly. I glance at Gorgon, for I know that if someone would know the reasons, she would. She has survived for generations, she has seen, and even committed, evil. I know that she will tell me.

Noticing my glance, she begins to speak, "Most High, it appears the most ancient magic, magic that existed long before there was evil, has taken control. The very creation of the Realms was a working of love. The love between all creatures, but the understanding that not everything can coexist. The love you and the boy—"

"Man" I correct automatically, "Kartik is a man, not a boy. No boy would make such a sacrifice."

She bows her head to me in concession. "It appears that your love is so great, and pure, that the Tree of All Souls could not accept him. The Tree feeds on uncertainties, and unaddressed weaknesses. You both know your strengths and failings, and find perfection together. Eugenia Spence was accepted because she refused to admit her pride, her desire for power. But the purity of your souls could not enter something so dirty, and defiling. Without evil, good cannot survive. And the two separate entities, the ultimate juxtaposition, exist together, but they can never be united, mixed. Thus, the Tree has not been destroyed. It's sense of self preservation expelled, the man, because slowly, his presence would have killed it. The Winterlands creatures are being taken as the unwilling sacrifice, for they are the only connection to the half-life the Tree shall live. His willing sacrifice has changed the Tree irrevocably, and although it is impossible to know the outcome, I would venture a guess that the tree shall now be weaker, no longer with its power over others."

And the Gorgon's explanation, although not one I completely understand, is one I am willing to accept. Because its presence means that it is over. That now, Kartik, and Ann, and Felicity, and even myself, we are all free of this curse. Because of me, we have all been left to protect the Realms, but because of Kartik, our protection might never be needed again.

"Thank you, Gorgon," I whisper. I know what I must do. For a moment I press my palms into the ground. I feel the frozen land melt and warm to my will. I seize the ground in my fingers and find the magic within me. I slowly bring it up, through my arms, controlled. I lift my head to speak. "The Tree of All Souls has been changed. Forever, it shall be different, and so forever the Winterlands, and all of the Realms shall be changed. _The magic was meant to be shared. None of you will hold it! I give the magic back to the land! I give this magic back to the Realms and the Winterlands, too, that it may be shared equally among the tribes!"_

I allow the magic to pump out of me. My veins, so long overfilled with the magic they were forced to hold, suddenly feel stretched and empty. My body feels too great, as if I had grown to allow the power that did not rightfully belong to me reside there. I am relieved. The sudden emptiness rejuvenates me, and I know that tomorrow shall be brighter. Tomorrow, my life will be my own, and I no longer have to worry that my emotions will set free the magic I could only just barely contain. And although I am free of the magic, I know a residue remains. I can sense the burning, hot, golden coals that lie dormant in my belly. If there is ever a need, I shall always have the capacity to draw on my magic and change the course of the world. I do not know whether to fear my power or to rejoice in it.

I fall back, abruptly weakened. Kartik catches me in his powerful arms, and gives me a sweet kiss that I shall enjoy for the rest of eternity. "Yes" emerges from my mouth. I do not know if it is an answer to an unasked question, or a question in and of itself. Perhaps, it just is. Perhaps, my mind does not explain everything to me, and there are things that must remain hidden for the sake of my sanity.

Kartik and I clasp hands. On my other side, Ann's pale hand wraps around mine while her other keeps a tight grip on Felicity. We are many, and we are one, and I realize that this is a power the Order and the Rakshana could never possess. We have the power to control our destinies together, without losing what makes us individuals.

"Grow," I whisper, "grow and prosper". And I see, even before our eyes, the Winterlands are changing. The souls of those that did not pass on, but instead chose to remain, have filled the Tree. And in their greed, they do just as I ask of them.

The Winterlands will always be the darkest, most barren place in the realms, but there is a ray of sunshine, of hope. Even as the Trackers retreat without their armies of faceless, restless souls, they shall remain. But no longer are they the rulers, small shoots have sprouted at the foot of the tree, and in time, the warmth may spread.

And so, together, we leave this place. And I know it will be long before I shall ever be ready to return there, to return to what had almost taken place. This place holds a power over me, because it will always be the place where all my dreams almost came crashing down. Gorgon rows us away, and I almost feel nostalgia. Before, I knew what I had to do. I had to defeat the Tree of All Souls and I had to save the Realms.

But now, my new life has so many possibilities; so many doors are open to me. In many ways I wish that I no longer had such a choice. I wish that I could have one clear cut way to live my life. Now, I can go before the Queen and become a woman, I can live through my season and marry well. I can follow my dreams to America and accomplish something in my own world. I can follow my love to India. We can marry and have children. Children we shall love. But as I consider my options, I wonder if this is everything that Kartik wants.

I know this is not goodbye, that no matter what that vindictive Eugenia Spence said, my magic, my capability to draw on everything the Realms are made of, shall never wane. No matter how long a time passes, I shall always carry the magic, ready to unfurl like a proud flag, if ever there is a dire enough need.

In a procession, Ann, Felicity, Fowlson, Kartik and I pass through the garden that I had first passed through on my first trip into the Realms, when we were ladies of the night, and Kartik was my enemy. We built so much in this place. Here began our strength, our dependence on one another, everything. And here we were almost divided. The magic almost destroyed me and drove the others mad with jealousy. Here Pippa made the decision that cost her life and unblemished soul. Here the Realms, which had always been a place of light, showed their true nature.

And as we file out, through the door of light I conjured with the power of my mind, we finally find ourselves returned to just outside of the door we entered through. We return to the chapel, to recount our losses and to find safety.


	2. A Gift Given

A/N: This chapter has taken a lot longer than originally planned

A/N: This chapter has taken a lot longer than originally planned. I have no way to defend myself other than to say I was trying to get it right. Please **Review**, I review your stories, do me the same favor!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to my beta **Bevin BrightEyes**, who has been incredibly patient as I churned out this next installment!

Disclaimer: No, I don't own these characters. I wish I could Kartik, but every time I get anywhere close to capturing him, he runs away. He's practically a gypsy, that sexy, sexy, man. He's a free spirit. And Gemma, she just disappears. I think to the realms. Those stupid meanies. Lucky Libba Bray.

Take Me Away

We try the door of the chapel, but it will not budge. With his free hand, Kartik knocks forcefully on the door. I realize that I have always loved and respected him for this. No matter the situation, my Kartik is always able to take charge and remain calm. Just a little while ago, he almost died, yet he continues to be my rock.

I am brought out of my reverie by a gentle tug on my hand. "Come Gemma. We must go inside," Kartik tells me gently. I see the others have already entered, and they look back at me speculatively.

"Terribly sorry," I say, and walk into the gloomy chapel as Kartik closes the door behind me. I notice all the girls cowering together, rightly terrified for their lives. I wonder if all the horrors have ended here because I fixed things as well as I could in the Realms.

Mrs. Nightwing approaches us, anxiously counting our numbers, her eyes widening when she notices the one who was left behind. This evening, she has visibly aged. And knowing her friend, one of her few remaining allies of the former Order is gone forever, fallen to a dead student, might be the final blow.

She counts us, once, twice, three times. "Sahirah is gone then," she says warily. I hear a flicker of emotion, but I do not think she is capable of more.

Mrs. Nightwing looks down, mournful. But she soon returns to the persona of the headmistress I have always known. She raises her head and takes a few deep breaths, composing herself. I have underestimated her sense of self and her strength. There is still much to be done, so she shall do it.

Ann looks around suddenly. I can tell by the gleam in her eyes that she is worried.

"Where is Mother Elena?" She sounds almost angry at the thought that the elderly gypsy woman might have abandoned us when needed. We have wronged her so much, my mother in particular, perhaps that would be her retribution upon us, her revenge. Ann must realize something, something that remains hidden to me. She speaks softly, fearfully, "Did the—did the creatures get her?"

"No. She refused to succumb to their powers. Her heart," Mrs. Nightwing tells us somberly. For all that she has lost this evening, there is so much more to lose, so much more hurt that is possible. All beings open to love are also open to experiencing the most pain.

Love. It is our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. It is how we form the bonds that tie us to those that surround us. How we realize who we may trust, and who we may not. But the dark ones, they know that because we are capable of such emotions, to hurt one of our own, is to hurt all of us. It shall ever be a need to strike a balance. The precarious balance between obsession and discord that makes our relationships stronger.

The other girls, Cecily, Martha and Elizabeth, stare at me curiously, trying to save face and hide their obvious fear. Perhaps they consider me a monkey to be watched and jeered at. Perhaps, if luck should have it, they might throw me a six pence, to apologize for my obvious simple mindedness. They look down their perfect noses at me, because I have some oddities. Because my life is different from theirs.

Throughout this horror, they have maintained their hard shells. Those shells allow them to be proper ladies. To do all that is expected of them, and to never complain. But perfection comes with a cost. They lose any idea of independence, and how to achieve dreams that are wholly unrelated to what their social-climbing families demand. Unlike me, they are capable of sitting still, going to teas, watching their words for fear of offending this great lord or that legendary lady. Perhaps they have trained themselves to be "true" ladies, so that they are no longer capable of original thoughts. Maybe that is a blessing. To yearn for nothing, to have everything they could ever want in a good husband and pretty children.

I, however, am different. My errant desires, I know no one in my family would approve. I want love, passion, fire. I want Kartik. I have noticed that his swarthy skin seems to glow with the fervor of his emotions. Everything he does is to the utmost, and I thank him for completing me.

"Help them, Gemma," I hear Mrs. Nightwing say to me. Her voice is distant, much more so than of a woman standing in close proximity. My incapability to stay focused on the task at hand and my forbidden thoughts have weakened my fragile calm. I realize that I am on the verge of collapse.

I feel arms around me, yet they seem to be only in my imagination. Even Kartik's strength cannot penetrate the fog I have given myself to. It is my escape, where I feel no guilt, no responsibility. Here, in my special place, I do not even feel the magic flowing through me.

There is one thing that brings me back. Kartik's sweet warm lips on mine. He tastes of nutmeg and mystery. I wish I could bottle his perfume, to have him with me forever. And then, I realize, that I can have him forever. He loves me as I love him, and he wants to be with me for the rest of our lives.

His love gives me strength. As all the young ladies file past me, I gently touch their shoulders, knowing that only a whisper of contact is enough. Instead of letting them live with harsh realities, everything that has transpired becomes a wayward dream, a distant nightmare. In the morning, when they awaken to face a new day, they will remember the dreamlike qualities of the evening, but not the all-consuming fear.

The only fear they might remember is walking through this dark stormy night. The storm has begun to rage, so different from the eerie magical gale of earlier in the evening. There are no gargoyles that swoop and soar. The mythical creatures that I count amongst my friends, yet would make Cecily, Mary and Elizabeth faint, have returned to their eternal posts. They protect our school. They protect us from the creatures that seek to control and destroy us, and they protect us from ourselves.

I shall wonder forever more how they never give up on us. They are always watching, waiting to help us. Such faith is heartening, but undeserved. Even within our school, catty behavior should make us undeserving of the pure love they offer us. All there is for them, all we can offer, is our gratitude.

--

"Gemma. I have to leave now." Kartik's voice surprises me. Without me even realizing, we have returned to the school, and now we stand in the middle of the Great Hall. Unusually, some of the candles have been lit, casting the room in a shadowy glow. I know that we are alone, and I wonder how Mrs. Nightwing could have allowed such a thing. Perhaps, there are chinks in her seemingly impenetrable armor.

The meaning of his words hit me. He wants to leave me alone. I shall have to spend the night in my own lonely bed, while he goes heaven knows where. And suddenly, overriding all else, is overwhelming fear. If he leaves me alone, then he has nowhere to go. Without each other, we are vulnerable. I shan't allow it.

"No!" There is more desperation in my voice than I like, but I hope he does not hear it.

Kartik's dark eyes soften. He pulls me close, and I know he knows. "I am always with you, Gemma. Watching." He looks at me so earnestly, I can do nothing but accept his words as the truth. Kartik hesitates, as if he is not sure if he should go on. "If you wish it, I will come to you tonight. You do not have to sleep in your bed alone."

It takes me a few seconds to realize. I wonder if he wishes to join with me as we were joined in the Cave of Sighs. I speculate as to how important it is that we are joined in matrimony before such an act. Can vows change what we really feel? I do not presume so. Even if we were to wait until that blessed wedding night, where all pretenses would disappear, what could we achieve?

Does it matter so much if I reveal myself to him without the security of wedded bliss? Is my body such a thing that I cannot give it freely; does my body come with the price of a contract? Is my virtue something that I should give to Kartik only after he gives me a marriage? And of what use is my virtue, when I must battle monsters that reside in dreams? When I know the pure ecstasy that can come of knowing the one you belong with, I cannot force myself to resist.

And just like that, my mind is made up. I smile at Kartik, and lead him out of the Great Hall. Before stepping up, onto the looking staircase, I glance around surreptitiously for Brigid. She is the one who now knows everything, but might still revert to her old ways. From her I might receive an admonishing glare, for being out and about past curfew. And with a man—it's unthinkable.

We arrive at my room, and I whisper, "This is my door."

"And I assume, that beyond this lovely door, is an even lovelier bedroom?"

I blush, and I'm thankful that the darkness conceals my embarrassment. He has been in my room before, but never by my own invitation. Never have I planned such a scandalous thing. And truly, I have a plan. I shall lead him in, sit him upon my bed, and if my courage holds out, I shall undress before him. I blush again. The crimson in my cheeks makes me feel hot, as I can almost feel Kartik's hands upon me—Anne.

I have completely forgotten about Anne. It could never do for her to be in the room with us. I wonder if I might escape Kartik for only a moment, so that I can, with as much dignity and manners as possible, request that Anne leave. I am sure that Felicity would welcome her into her room. In fact, I am sure that Fee would have to resist dancing at the thought of me and Kartik being locked in a room together, with no chaperone in sight.

I turn to face Kartik. "I need a moment," I whisper.

Kartik nods, and I slip inside and shut the door quietly, before he might have the chance to follow me inside. I know that once we are together, there can be no way for me to resist him.

In the midnight darkness, I creep towards Ann's bed, careful not to upset anything. Even the slightest sound could bring other girls running. I notice that her bed is made, and it is obvious that she has already visited our bedroom. Her dress has been hung and her nightgown is gone. Fee probably brought Ann to her own room for the night. I vow to go along with any adventurous plan Fee might concoct next. Feeling as though I might kiss both of my friends, I tiptoe to the door.

"Come inside," I say to Kartik as I open the door and pull him inside. I suddenly feel brash, and push him onto the bed. He stares at me, transfixed, as I begin to undress. First I pull off my shoes, and stretch my toes, enjoying my relief from the compressing shoes. Then come the buttons of my dress, and I blush at the décolletage I reveal. I look at Kartik through my lashes, shyly. He stares at me, and I know instinctively that he has not blinked.

"Gemma." And with that word, the spell is broken. In a rush, I am left bare before him. Wearing only my underpinnings, I allow him to let his eyes have their fill.

And just as I am prepared to give myself to him, he stops me. "Is this truly what you want, Gemma? Do you not wish to save yourself for a gentleman you were born to marry?"

I shake my head and kiss him, letting my lips convey my answer.

"The only man I ever want to marry stands before me. And I don't think he would mind if I chose to wait."

--

I awake in Kartik's arms. If this is not Nirvana, then surely there can be no gods.

--

A/N: Please **REVIEW**! I accept **ANNONYMOUS REVIEWS**, so you don't need to have an account to tell me what you think!


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